2012 Volvo XC60

I was at the dealership today testing out a 2011 XC60 T6 demo that they had for sale. They're not able to locate a XC60 in the configuration I want and any order wouldn't be available for delivery til Aug/Sept, I thought I'd check out the demo.

It had more options than I was looking for and due to the low inventory weren't willing to meet my price. Surprisingly, they pulled out a 2012 XC50 T6 R-Design handout. They told me though it hasn't been officially announced yet, they could order me one instead of a 2011 for Aug/Sept delivery.

Well, the T6 gets a bump from 300 to 325hp and 325 to 354 lb.-ft of torque. 6-spd Geartronic transmission now includes a Sports Mode.

For the R-Design, Spring stiffness increased by 10%, Increased Damping resulting in improved body control and Steering ratio 10% faster.

Based price has gone up to $43.5k but prices for option packages remain the same. Though they told me that PCC and Convenience package come together now for $1.75k

Dang! We JUST made the first payment on our new C70, our XC60 is only two years old, but Volvo couldn't leave well enough alone--325 horsepower! We're limping along on 281! The bump to 300hp was bad enough; now, I might have to figure out how to get a new XC60 TWO YEARS ahead of schedule!

The mpg change might be a concern. We've averaged just under 20mpg over 39K miles on the '10XC60. I can live with that, our previous C70 was 'only' ~ 23mpg over 3 1/2 years. We would also consider dropping the AWD if we were to go for the 2012(Not really likely; 2013/14 would be more like it...seriously considering OSD next time.)

I am interested in purchasing a new 2012 Volvo XC60 but I am not sure about Volvo's quality in recent years. I plan to keep this car for 5 to 10 years and I don't want to take it to the repair shop and spend tons of money on a regular basis. I would like to hear your opinions and experiences. Thanks for helping me out!

I bought a 2010 XC60 after getting two bad XC90s. The first 90 (07) was replaced at 15,000 miles after returning to the dealer 9 times trying to fix an electronic problem. The next one had yaw and rollover sensor problems that couldn't be resolved which started at about 40,000. I was offered another replacement but would have to pay to swap that time because of the milage. I was extremely reluctant to buy another XC90, much less a Volvo. The 60's were just out so I hesitantly decided to buy it. I was honestly a bit hacked about the whole situation a felt rather foolish buying another Volvo after 2 horrible experiences. So......I now have 75,000 miles on my 2010 XC60 and I Love Love Love that darn car! It has been a real gem. No problem ever. It is much more fun to drive than the 90. I have had no electronic or mechanical problems at all. THe body and paint still looks great. I hope to drive it for a long time to come. GOod luck

Good to hear this.Just put a deposit on a 2012 xc60, but am still concerned about reliability issues and high repair costs. I guess I'm spoiled by my trusty 2001 Honda CRV.i hope future xc 60s are as reliable as yours.

You won't suffer a mpg hit with the new/updated engines. I'm averaging 21 mpg in mixed driving and lots of short trips on a 2012 XC60 R-Design. The vehicle is not even broken in yet and I have a lead foot, so it should get better. Volvo's engine mods will yield better mpg than your older 281 hp XC60.

It's too bad that Volvo is too poor/cheap to invest in direct fuel injection like every other manufacturer on the planet. They could get a significant bump in performance and efficiency.

Also, remember that you can order a regular XC60 T6 with the 325 hp Polestar mod (ordering is cheaper than dealer installation) and save some money from the R-Design.

We looked quite a bit during the last couple of weeks of the Summer Savings program. Unfortunately, DW had a $5000 dust-up with the back end of a Subaru during that time(while driving our '11 C70). Took a bit of the wind out of my sails in terms of a new ride. IF there had been a white T6 Platinum available during the last week of July, we 'might' have pounced. As it stands, I'm likely to keep the '10 for another year. The lack of significant improvements in the '12/'13 (other than the engine boost) has made me feel a bit better about the (current) decision to hold on to the '10.

I mentioned over on SwedeSpeed that the suspension and wheels included with the R-design would likely have me in a T6 again(as you mentioned, possibly with the Polestar bump).